Optical and microhardness studies of KDP crystals grown from aqueous solutions with organic additives

Non-linear optical (NLO) materials have acquired new significance with the advent of a large number of devices utilising solid-state laser sources. From this technological point of view, potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) having superior non-linear optical properties has been exploited for variety of applications. KDP crystals were grown from aqueous solutions added with organic additives by the slow cooling method for obtaining better non-linear properties. The influence of the organic additives on the optical and mechanical properties has been studied. It has been observed that the addition of organic additives improves the mechanical strength of the crystal. It is also observed that the addition of organic additives improves the optical transmission percentage of the crystal.